Danita Minnis

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Shelly Campbell will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

Shelly Campbell Interview

1. How did you choose your genre? What made you write this book?

Like most writers, my genres kind of chose me. I’ve always gravitated toward fiction that has a bit of a darker edge. We grew up watching X-files and Star Trek and I’ve always doodled dragons. Horror, sci-fi and fantasy are just natural fits for me. I like putting realistic characters into unrealistic situations and watching how it all pans out.

What made me write Seed? Well, I promised my publisher three books in the Dark Walker series. The idea from the series sprung from a writing prompt short story contest I entered. Once I’d finished the short story, I knew there was far more to be told and one novel wasn’t enough room to fully tell the tale. Seed gave me a satisfying conclusion to David’s story. I hope if feels that way for readers who’ve followed the Dark Walker series too.

2. Writers write what they know, and must observe the world. Are you a first born, middle or last child and how does this shape your view of the world?

I’m a first born and I’m sure it’s shaped me in ways I can’t even define. I was nearly three months premature and spoiled rotten. My parent’s were young and struggling to make ends meet. Sometimes we didn’t. I think that showed me that, while the world can be a cold and unforgiving place, there are still small miracles every day, and there are good people out there amongst the bad who are willing to help their fellow human beings out because that’s what being human means. I’m reminded of the advice Fred Roger’s mom gave him whenever he saw something terrible on the nightly news. “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” The helpers are who inspire me in life. And I’ve been extremely fortunate to live life surrounded by helpers. I’m so grateful for them all.

In this series, David starts out alone and invisible, with no helpers, but as his story moves on, even though he has agency and makes moves to steer his direction in life, his friends and family are there to help him through it. He can’t do it without them. None of us are designed to do this alone, friends!

3. Where is your favorite place to write?

Right now, I’m writing in my car before work starts. My favourite place should be my beautiful little writing nook I set up in my master bedroom, but honestly, it’s usually in a comfy recliner with my laptop. So bad for neck posture!

4. How do you feel about killing your darlings, and what do you do with the remains?

Maybe I’m a bit of a sadist because I don’t kill my darlings right away. I delete them from my work without mercy, and then I trap them in an odds and ends folder because that fools my lil old mind into thinking ‘well, I haven’t deleted them and I might salvage these darlings for something else someday. I don’t, of course. They sit in the odds and ends folder and they die a horrible, long, drawn out death. So, yeah. I don’t kill my darlings directly. Eventually, they just die of neglect.

5. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them?

I’ve really lucked out and had the opportunity to meet one of my favourite people—who also happens to be a great author—Chris Hadfield. He was doing a book signing in my local book store and I took my copy of his novel in to get signed. I was too star struck to ask anything, but we did chat a bit about writing and publishing and how it’s a challenging industry which was interesting to hear from a guy who’s literally worked in some of the most challenging environments on or off Earth. It was indescribably cool getting to share a few moments with someone that disciplined, multi-talented, and genuinely kind-hearted. The guy is a down-to-earth legend.

6. Inquiring minds want to know…tell readers something about you that no one knows.

I’m an open book with loose lips so, if you know me, you know just about everything about me. Hmmm. Let me think. I don’t actually like coffee. Every morning, I convince myself that I do, but I actually don’t. Turns out, I like coffee- flavoured French vanilla creamer and whipped cream and cinnamon. Not actual coffee.

7. You are stranded on a deserted island with only a back pack for company. What three items are in your survival pack?

Does a bag of potatoes count as one thing? Because they are easy to grow and I’d have lots of access to salt if I’m in the middle of the ocean, and I’m pretty sure I could happily live on well-salted fish and chips for a long time. A good sharp jackknife. A hand crank radio/flashlight combo. That way I could maybe listen to music if the air waves hit just right! So I’d be full of fish and chips with music in my ears. Not a bad way to go (I wouldn’t survive long on a deserted island.)

8. If you could have one super power in your existence, what would it be?

Flying would be dang cool (even though I get air sick sometimes.)

9. Favorite snack?

See above. Potatoes! In any form.

10. Indy 500 – Do you know how to get where you’re going or do you drive the speed limit?

Oh God, I’m crashing the car for sure. I don’t know how to get to where I’m going in life, never mind the Indy 500. That’s why I write fictional books where characters find their way to where they need to be. Because in real life, I’m clueless. I’m just coasting where the current takes me and trying to be kind along the way.

SEED

Shelly Campbell

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GENRE:  Horror/Dark Science Fiction

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BLURB:

Glitching between dimensions wasn’t supposed to be my life, but sometimes you have to dance with the darkness.

I should be dead. Shot twice through the chest. But the Embassy saved me because I’m a one-of-a-kind freak who blips to worlds they can’t reach. Now I’m their personal mule, raiding collapsing planets to fatten their coffers. Lucky me.

And things have gone from bad to worse. My old team is being held hostage, my family’s in danger, and the darkness hunts me across realities. My one shot to end this living hell? Take down the Embassy, save Charlie, and torch the whole rotten system. Simple, right? One misstep though, and we’re toast. Alien breach. Apocalypse. End scene.

If I fail, the darkness won’t stop until it swallows us whole.

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EXCERPT:

I used to be David.

David had a big family. Wanted to join the army. Always got stuck cleaning out the soft serve machine at his after-school job because everyone else despised the chore. But now he’s gone and I’m all that’s left. A dead animal under glass, gutted and hastily stitched together—you know the kind where the taxidermist didn’t get the eyes quite right? That’s me. Sad display in an Embassy trophy case.

But I’m not just for show. My captors use me well.

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Shelly Campbell Bio and Links:

At a young age, Shelly Campbell wanted to be an air show pilot or a pirate, possibly a dragon and definitely a writer and artist. She’s piloted a Cessna 172 through spins and stalls, and sailed up the east coast on a tall ship barque—mostly without projectile vomiting. In the end, Shelly found writing and drawing dragons to be so much easier on the stomach. Shelly writes speculative fiction ranging from grimdark fantasy, to sci-fi and horror. She’d love to hear from you.

http://www.shellycampbellauthorandart.com

https://twitter.com/ShellyCFineArt

https://www.instagram.com/shellycampbellfineart

https://www.facebook.com/shellycampbellauthorandart

@shellycampbellauthor

 

 

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